She held up the charm. Fortunately all the strange, fair people
were too busy to notice HER. She held up the charm. And nothing
happened.

'You haven't said the word of power,' said Anthea.

Jane hastily said it--and still nothing happened.

'Hold it up towards the East, you silly!' said Robert.

'Which IS the East?' said Jane, dancing about in her agony of
terror.

Nobody knew. So they opened the fish-bag to ask the Psammead.

And the bag had only a waterproof sheet in it.

The Psammead was gone.

'Hide the sacred thing! Hide it! Hide it!' whispered the girl.

Cyril shrugged his shoulders, and tried to look as brave as he
knew he ought to feel.

'Hide it up, Pussy,' he said. 'We are in for it now. We've just
got to stay and see it out.'